1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of balloon catheters, and in particular relates to a low-profile dilation perfusion catheter.
2. Description of the Related Art
Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) is a procedure for treating a stenosis or a narrowed region in a coronary artery. PTCA is often used as an alternative to coronary bypass surgery. A main advantage of PTCA is the avoidance of many of the post-operative problems associated with such surgery. Moreover, there is a reduction of morbidity with the use PTCA, over bypass surgery.
In one form, PTCA involves the use of a catheter having an expandable balloon attached to its distal end. The catheter is inserted into an artery, such as into the femoral artery, and advanced transluminally through the artery until the balloon is positioned adjacent the narrowed portion of the artery. The balloon is thereafter inflated using an inflation medium that is advanced through a lumen within the catheter. The balloon expands radially outward to displace the obstruction in the artery. If the stenosis is composed primarily of fatty deposits, it is possible to compress the stenosis against the arterial wall and thereby restore a portion or all of the original interior diameter of the artery.
Unfortunately, there are certain drawbacks associated with such a procedure. When the balloon is inflated, it completely occludes the blood flow within the artery. However, it is undesirable to occlude an artery for extended periods of time. The cessation of blood flow caused by the dilated balloon presents a high risk of damage to the portions of the body downstream of the occlusion, particularly the heart. Hence, the balloon may only be pressurized for a few seconds at a time in order to avert any damage downstream of the occlusion due to the absence of blood flow. A balloon catheter treatment thus involves cyclically inflating and deflating the balloon for short periods of time until the desired results are achieved.